by means of a
string, a bent nail, and two folded handkerchiefs as packs. After many
trials, and many lapses of memory, he succeeded on all but the Double
Diamond. Although apparently he followed every move, the result was
never that beautiful all-over tightening at the last pull. He
reluctantly concluded that on this point he must have instruction.

Although rarely a day went by during the whole season that one or more
parties did not pass through, or camp over night at the Meadow Lake, it
was a fact that, after passing Baldy, these hundreds could scatter so
far through the labyrinth of the Sierras that in a whole summer's
journeying they were extremely unlikely to see each other--or indeed any
one else, save when they stumbled on one of the established cow camps.
The vastness of the California mountains cannot be conveyed to one who
has not travelled them. Men have all summer pastured illegally thousands
of head of sheep undiscovered, in spite of the fact that rangers and
soldiers were out looking for them. One may journey diligently
throughout the season, and cover but one corner of the three great maps
that depict about one-half of them. If one wills he can, to all intents
and purposes, become sole and undisputed master of kingdoms in extent.
He can occupy beautiful valleys miles long, guarded by cliffs rising
thousands of feet, threaded by fish-haunted streams, spangled with
fair, flower-grown lawns, cool with groves of trees, neck high in rich
feed. Unless by sheer chance, no one will disturb his solitude. Of
course he must work for his kingdom. He must press on past the easy
travel, past the wide cattle country of the middle elevations, into the
splintered, frowning granite and snow, over the shoulders of the mighty
peaks of the High Sierras. Nevertheless, the reward is sure for the
hardy voyager.

Most men, however, elect to spend their time in the easier middle
ground. There the elevations run up to nine or ten thousand feet; the
trails are fairly well defined and travelled; the streams are full of
fish; meadows are in every moist pocket; the great box canons and peaks
of the spur ranges offer the grandeur of real mountain scenery.

From these men, as they ended their journeys on the way out, came tales
and rumours. There was no doubt whatever that the country had too many
cattle in it. That was brought home to each and every man by the
scarcity of horse feed on meadows where usually an abundance for
everybo